NSW Greens Upper House MP David Shoebridge drafting bill to stop forced council amalgamations
GREENS Upper House MP David Shoebridge wants to end forced council mergers by introducing a bill during the current sitting session of NSW Parliament.
Mosman
Don't miss out on the headlines from Mosman. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE Greens will attempt to end forced council amalgamations with a Bill in NSW Parliament.
Upper House MP David Shoebridge will introduce the Bill in the current sitting session.
“The Greens have a proposed parliamentary package that is simple, democratic and will fix this mess,” he said.
“We are proposing the immediate termination of all outstanding forced amalgamation proposals, the immediate reversal of existing forced amalgamations and a legislative requirement to ensure that any future amalgamations proposals are subject to a binding plebiscite.
“No party other than the Coalition has supported forced council amalgamations.
“We continue to work with all other parties and are aiming to present this as a co-sponsored bill which we can unite around.
“We are hoping that all parties outside of the Coalition can support this.
“If this bill doesn’t pass Parliament in 2017, then it certainly will after the next state election in 2019.”
There are 20 Coalition and 22 Labor/crossbench MPs in the Upper House.
A majority of 21 votes is needed. The president has the casting vote if votes are tied.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed last week that all existing council mergers would remain, while pending mergers would stop in regional areas but continue in Sydney.
Mosman and North Sydney councils are fighting the Government in the courts to stave off a forced merger with Willoughby.
Mr Shoebridge wrote to Ms Berejiklian this month about the Greens’ plan to end forced mergers.
“You cannot have one rule for local democracy in the bush and another in the city,” he said.
“Every resident in NSW deserves equal treatment and genuinely local democracy.
“There is no evidence and no democratic mandate to support the forced amalgamation of Mosman, North Sydney and Willoughby. Residents will lose out.
“With by-elections coming up in Manly and North Shore, Premier Berejiklian will soon get a taste of what residents in open revolt really look like.”
Save Our Councils Coalition is running a campaign to encourage voters to “put Libs last in the city and put Nats last in the country”.
Committee member Phil Jenkyn said the group successfully used the campaign in the Orange by-election last year.
“The announcement last week was great news for three-quarters, two-thirds of the bush, but for the Government it was a total disaster in the city,” he said.
“The city is being treated as a joke. What they should do is withdraw forced mergers.
“People are deserting the major political parties and it’s that kind of behaviour by Premier Gladys Berejiklian that is reinforcing it.
OWNER CHARGED OVER EGG THE PUG THEFT REPORT
“Bring on the North Shore and Manly by-elections.
“This is a very dysfunctional Liberal Government and that will be shown in the by-elections.”
Like the Mosman Daily on Facebook
‘A bit close’: Stars, standouts as Waratahs continue Super Rugby U19s march
The Waratahs have continued their match towards the decider of the Super Rugby U19s but there’s still things that need to be sorted. Stars, standouts, great photos from battle with Reds.
Comeback, two-try stars in Waratahs v Reds U16s Super Rugby battle
It took them a while but the NSW Waratahs finally found their groove against the Queensland Reds as one of rugby’s best rivalries ignited in the Super Rugby U16s. Stars, great photos.